Hey Big IV - West PA Rides

[RP#62]

Before moving to Arizona, I spent a fair amount of time riding my Valk through the hills of western PA.  Here's some day trip destinations from IUP.  I'm sure there's many that I forgot, but this should get you started.
-RP

Punxsutawney – just up 119 from Indiana    Why?  To say you’ve been to Punxsutawney

East Brady – NW of Indiana  Great view of a horseshoe bend in the Allegheny River from up high on the bluffs.  Used to be a neat little restaurant at the overlook that served 9” diameter hamburgers, but not sure if its still there.

Johnstown – SW of Indiana.  The Johnstown flood museum is on US 219 just NE of Johnstown.  There's a small interpretive center on a hill overlooking the earthen dam that failed and caused the flood.  They have a very sobering movie of the events surrounding the failure of the dam.

Also in Johnstown – Thunder in the Valley (June 25 – 28).  It’s a motorcycle event where they shut down mainstreet and everybody parks their bikes along the main drag.  There’s live music in the park, food vendors, motorcycle vendors (mostly Harley stuff, but still fun), etc.  http://www.visitjohnstownpa.com/thunderinthevalley

Flight 93 Memorial – SW of Indiana just south of US30 below Stoystown

Horseshoe Curve – US22 east of Indiana just west of Altoona.  Nice ride through the back roads to get there.  There’s an incline that takes you up the platform where you can see trains coming and going all day long.  http://www.railroadcity.com/hc/index.php

Altoona – Railroaders Memorial Museum

Titusville – NW of Indiana.  First oil well in the US

Tionesta – NW of Indiana   Nice little restaurant US 62 just south of town called 5 Forks.  The patio out back overlooks 5 forks of the Allegheny river.

The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania – just off US 6 east of Wellsboro (NE of Indiana)

Bradford – north near the NY border. Zippo Lighter factory (they give tours)

Ohiopyle State Park – due south of Indiana near the MD/WVA border.  Nice back road riding.  Kayaking and nice view of the falls.

State college – NE of Indiana.  Neat little military museum, ice cream at The Creamery

McConnell’s Mill State Park – NW of Indiana just south off US422 on the west side of I-79.  There’s a very scenic grist mill down on the creek.


Ohiopyle

[Big IV]

Thanks RP. Some of those were already on my list too.
I have to see Phil in all his over done glory just to say that I have.
I also want to hit lake Eerie, Niagra Falls, and Mars just to name a few around the area.
I'll probably ride back out around Pittsburgh and hit the Trolley museum at some point because I love all things on tracks.

I don't know how much free time I'll have around my program, but I'm not taking a TV  or any other distractions so all my free time will be hopping on the motorcycle! I know I'll have one partial week off between classes and we'll probably use that to hit Niagra Falls and Toronto area and keep moving which is about as far we'll make it in a few days.

I can't wait to have a different home base for a while and see something new when we head out. I just called and had the electricity put in my name for the summer. I'm moving to PA on the 15th of May so it won't be long now.

[SgtBunny]

What part of PA you moving to?

I'm near Morgantown, WV which is about 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh.....when I am home that is.

[Big IV]

Indiana PA. I'll be right downtown.
right about here:

but I'll be stuck here most of the summer:

but when I get a chance I'm going to see as much PA as possible. Feel free to send all the suggestions ya'll have my way so that I can make the most of seeing it all.

[RP#62]

Thanks RP. Some of those were already on my list too.
I have to see Phil in all his over done glory just to say that I have.
I also want to hit lake Eerie, Niagra Falls, and Mars just to name a few around the area.
I'll probably ride back out around Pittsburgh and hit the Trolley museum at some point because I love all things on tracks.

I don't know how much free time I'll have around my program, but I'm not taking a TV  or any other distractions so all my free time will be hopping on the motorcycle! I know I'll have one partial week off between classes and we'll probably use that to hit Niagra Falls and Toronto area and keep moving which is about as far we'll make it in a few days.

I can't wait to have a different home base for a while and see something new when we head out. I just called and had the electricity put in my name for the summer. I'm moving to PA on the 15th of May so it won't be long now.

That opens up some other possibilities.  On the way to the falls, go to the Glen Curtis Museum in Hammondsport NY.  Curtis started racing motorcycles and had the world speed record at Daytona at one point.  It dawned on him that the design considerations that go into a motorcycle engine could be applied to airplane engines and he began building airplanes (P40 tail sections were built in Hammondsport).  Interesting little museum. 

I generally avoided riding through Pittsburgh.  It can be very difficult to navigate through to the uninitiated.  There's no grid system, roads just go any which way at odd angles and there are several roads with the same name in close proximity.  There are several roads known by three different names.  Its one of those places where you can see where you want to go, you just can't get there.  If you make the wrong turn, its not a matter of doubling back, you'll be in another state by then. My wife used to work for UPS there and she told me that they used to test new programs in Pittsburgh, because if they worked there, they'd work anywhere.

 If you have to go though, the Carnegie Museum in Oakland is awesome.  While you're there go see the Cathedral of Learning across the street (but stay out of the bathrooms).  Theres a great view of town from up on Mt Washington. It overlooks the point - the convergence of the Allegheny, the Monongahela and the Ohio.  For the 4th of July, they shoot the fireworks from a barge in the river at the point.  If you watch from Mt. Washington you'll see Zambelli fireworks going off at eye level with the city as a backdrop.

A nice loop down through West Virginia is US 219 down along Deep Creek Lake.  Then get on US 50 at Redhouse and head west (its a great ride), then back up to PA on US 119.  There's lots of great rides in WVA, I'll let the WVA boys tell you about those, but some good destinations: Seneca Rocks, Blackwater Falls, CASS Scenic Railroad, the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Greenbank, to name a few.

Enjoy,
-RP

[Dino]

Hey Big IV, It will be great to have another Valkyrie in my town! I live about 3 blocks from where you will be living. Lets get together ,and I will show you around. RP is right, a lot of nice rides and places to see here in western PA. Try to reserve the Thunder in the Valley week,its a good time,and draws over 200,000 bikes. You will like it here at IUP, it's a great university. Look forward to meeting & riding with ya,, ,  Dino in Indiana, Pa.

[Big IV]

Dino,

[Bob E.]

I'm a little farther west in Canonsburg, PA.  I actually live just a few miles from Steel City Harley/Honda.  We should try and arrange a little PA ride one Saturday or something.

[kipmilam]

hey RP,

How do you like Gilbert?  Im looking at moving to Buckeye in about 2 months, do you find utility bills there with the heat?

Kip

[RP#62]

hey RP,

How do you like Gilbert?  Im looking at moving to Buckeye in about 2 months, do you find utility bills there with the heat?

Kip

We love it.  Last year electric ran around 160/month for the three hottest months of the summer.  The rest of the year 50/month.  Water is cheaper here than it was in PA - its averaging around 25-30/month.  There's about 3-4 months of heat and its absolutely beautiful the rest of the year.  There's no hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, or snow.  Just heat and you don't have to shovel that.  Its blue sky and sunshine almost every day.
-RP